ISI disinformation campaign and its willing partners in the media
Following David Cameron’s statements in New Delhi last week, there were media reports that the DG ISI had cancelled his upcoming trip to the UK. The DG ISI was applauded for his patriotism. Here is just a small sample of media reports of the trip that had been supposedly cancelled due to extreme patriotism and “ghairat” of the DG ISI.
ISI Director-General Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha was scheduled to visit the UK early next month but the trip has now been cancelled, a top military official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity.
Earlier, a senior Pakistani intelligence official had confirmed that DG ISI Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had called off a trip planned for next week when he had been due to discuss security cooperation with British intelligence bosses. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the agency’s policy.
Dawn:
Pakistan’s spy chief, who had been due to visit London on Monday for talks on counter-terrorism, cancelled his trip in protest at Cameron’s remarks, a spokesman for the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) agency said on Saturday.
However on August 3, the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph contained an article in which the author said the following:
One more clue that tells us this is temporary hysteria rather than fundamental crisis: Pakistan made big play of cancelling a planned meeting between the head of its ISI spy agency and its British counterparts. Which would be worrying, except…no such meeting was due to take place. They made up a meeting, then cancelled it. Cue much chortling, and some sneaking admiration, here in London.
Now one could argue that this is merely British propaganda, but it was not investigated further by the Pakistani media, and not reported on at all. Until today when PM GIlani made the following statement:
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday revealed that there was no high profile visit of the ISI to the United Kingdom that was reportedly called-off.
There was no such high profile visit of the ISI delegation to the UK and if there was any, then it would have been in my knowledge, he said while talking to a group of journalists at the Prime Minister’s House here on Thursday.
The prime minister’s remarks came in response to a question about the two issues of cancellation of the ISI visit and the president’s visit to the UK despite the outburst of British prime minister.
Now whatever one may think of the wisdom of the President’s trip to the UK, surely the lies and disinformation spread by “anonymous senior military officials” to every major media outlet in the country and the uncritical consumption and propagation of those lies by these media outlets is an issue of concern and of shame.
Army buying Swat land in breach of law: Herald Friday, 06 Aug, 2010 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/army-buying-swat-land-in-breach-of-law-herald-680
KARACHI: The army is acquiring thousands of kanals of land for four garrisons it has planned to set up in Swat – one each in Barikot, Kabal, Khwazakhela and Matta – bypassing the law and, in some instances, to the displeasure of local people, the Herald reports.
According to a report published in the magazine’s August issue, that hit the newsstands today (Friday), military officials appointed in Swat are heading negotiations with local land-owners for the acquisition of land.
This is in violation of the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which states that only the civilian administration is authorised to acquire land for public purposes.
Some local people are also not happy with the land acquisition and the prices being offered. Sher Shah Khan, whose family will lose 4,000 kanals of land in Kabal to a cantonment, is one of them.
“We told the army that this is our source of livelihood but they said there was no possibility of the government acceding to our demand of not building a garrison in this area,” he said.
A known political figure of Matta, who wishes to remain anonymous, puts it this way: “Paying 73 rupees per square foot for fertile land of Swat is a joke being played on the Swati people. It is less than you pay for a square foot of an average quality carpet.”
Hope Pasha is not another Mush in the making.
Sharam Tum ko magar nahin atee.
Disinformation or information is the persitent and continued approach by the establishment to discourage civilain face whatsoever to take part in any discussion of secirity matters.
Issue was improvised and President targeted as had been in the past. For him to stay back at home during flood time could be a good jesture but why always the issue is constructed against civilains representatives even when there is no natural clamity or disasters.